Hipster Music Post

Let's begin by saying we are all hipsters. Every one of us. So just shut up about it. Embrace it. Wear your Chuck Taylors that you've been wearing since the beginning of time with pride. Own your musical tastes.  ISN'T THAT WHAT COMMUNICATING/LIVING IS ALL ABOUT.

Oh I haven't heard of that band.
Why do you think I'd like said band? 
Oh. That sounds interesting. Perhaps I will give it a try. 
Thank you for sharing.

Let's just be excited for things. Can we just do that?
We are better than a lot of people.
And worse than a lot of people.

I like flip-flops and I try to keep a vegan lifestyle.
I like skirts and jeans and tank tops.
I like some bands.
I like some books.
I like some movies.
I like wine.
I don't really like beer.

So with that being said, let's enter my annual (not really, I think this is the first-ever) concert review blog!

Thus far, my favorite concert of the summer, if not my life has been Paul McCartney.
Who is Paul McCartney you ask?
Just kidding.
Everyone knows who Paul McCartney is.
He was the lead singer of Wings.
And a member of a little pop band called the Beatles.
He's real.
He's 71 years old.
He's a vegetarian.
He was recently in Milwaukee.
And I was extraordinarily fortunate to go to the show.
It was.
It was bloody fucking fantastic.
I don't really know what else to say.
He didn't play Uncle Albert, but he played Let Me Roll It.
He didn't play No More Lonely Nights, but he played Mrs. Vanderbilt (which we learned Ukrainians love)
He didn't play Silly Love Songs, but he played Hi Hi Hi
He didn't play Jet, but he played Band on the Run.
He didn't play Martha My Dear, but he played Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite.
He didn't play Maxwell's Silver Hammer, but he played Lovely Rita.
Lovely tribute to George Harrison by playing a ukulele version of Something.
Lovely tribute to Linda by playing Maybe I'm Amazed.
Both tributes moved me to tears.
Oh.
And he also played Live and Let Die, complete with the most ridiculous on-stage pyrotechnics I've ever witnessed and fireworks.

I just can't really get over how amazing the show was. It was awesome.
And I fully understand my privilege in being able to go, and am forever grateful to a friend who offered me an extra ticket at face value. I will forever be indebted to her, and this unforgettable experience.

Billy Idol.
What?
Yeah, I saw Billy Idol.
And it was a riot. He played all the hits, and I had fun.
Am I Billy Idol fan? Not necessarily, but the guy was ridiculous, and funny, and also in amazing shape.
Plus I was surrounded by besties, and that makes any concert (usually) better.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Shortly after seeing Billy Idol, we got to see Tom Petty.
If I'm being truthful, it wasn't my favorite concert of his. When you see someone 8 or 9 times, this starts to happen. Not every show can be the best, and while it wasn't a bad show, by any means, it wasn't my favorite. It could have been due to the fact that I wasn't seeing it with my usual Petty Crew (moms, pops, JS), but I was with the bf, and my bestie, Prude.
But I think the major factor was the rain.
As you all know, or at least you do now, I really hate getting wet.  I take showers in record time, and I can't remember the last time I went swimming. So although I was a trooper and realized I was just going to be soaked, it still put a damper on the experience.
The plus side was that he played some Traveling Wilburys (aside from every other major hit you'd want to hear including some choice covers), and that's always fun.

Smith Westerns
The last time I saw Smith Westerns was at Turner Hall, in Milwaukee. While I love the historicity of the venue, the sound is often something to be desired. They were touring on their "Dye It Blonde" album and their song "Smile" was a favorite whilst residing in the bell jar. So I was very excited to see the show, but a little worried as their sound is a little retro, with feedback and wall-of-sound-type tones. And the show (in Milwaukee) was a little concerning. I feared, as a friend had suggested, that they were just a studio band. Would they get better? Was their success just new?
Yes.
Upon seeing them last night (FOR FREE! Wisconsin is really batting 1000 with free music this year, methinks), they have matured wonderfully. Their sound was lush and full and their vocals had vastly improved. They weren't perfect, but the band was engaging, and were most comfortable playing their early songs.
I wish they would have played longer, but that is a common complaint of festival shows.
But yeah, excited to see how they've grown musically (love their third album), and professionally (showmanship).

Tonight I will be taking in some musical theater!
Because I'm super classy!

Hobo-Walker

Not to fret, friends. This isn't a post about everyone's favorite pig-faced governor, this is just about a girl trying to walk in some heels after a night of hcd.
Hard.
Core.
Dancing.

The week/month of concerts/dance parties began on Wednesday night when my bestie, PO and I ventured to see Ra Ra Riot at the Turner Hall. The sound isn't the greatest there, but it's so super old and it's filled with pictures of old Germans, so I kind of HAVE to like it.

Anys. We get there fashionably late, because we're super-fashionable/hot messes all of the time. The first opening band was okay. Nothing too super-special. Just kind of folk-rocky. I see a co-worker who states he may be in attendance on Mad Planet Friday for another co-worker's bday. PO states that one of her co-workers will also be in attendance. Quickly, what was supposed to be a weekend of utter laziness and not going out has turned into a weekend of the yuge.

The concert is not crowded at all and the people watching/judging is in full force.
Hipsters are a tiny, tiny breed.
Our attentions quickly turn to the group of three that is directly ahead of us.
Upon first look we thought it was just a good-time gay with his two lady friends, which made me miss my ventures with J&P.
But the more I eavesdropped, the more I got the feeling that this guy was a het. When one's gaydar is off I always ask myself WWJ/PS?
Would would James/Peter say? And the more I watched, I could hear their running commentary in my head and I was convinced that he was, indeed, a het.
I seemed to have figure this out just in time, as Blondie was ALL OVER his mother-loving self. It was clear to both PO and I that while he was possibly into Blondie, he seemed to have a better connection with Brunette. And for a while, every time Blondie would be all sexy and dancey up on him, he would politely dance out of it and include Brunette, which I thought was nice.

Unfortunately more Pabst was involved and following scene occurred at least three times:
Blondie all swervey and dancey and kissy on him.
He would kiss her back, dance out of it and side up to Brunette.
Rinse and repeat.
Rinse and repeat.

On the one hand, I felt sorry for Brunette because I think she probably did like Plaidy McCurly Hair (he looked kind of like the male teacher on Glee), and I think he liked her. It was just that Blondie was way more aggressive in her drunkenness, and what's the guy going to do? Outrightly refuse the hot blonde who is all over him when his true feelings are for the still-cute-but-not-hot Brunette who isn't all over him whilst drunk?
Come on.
A dude's got needs.
*SIGH*
I think they'll work it out in the end.
(whatamieventalkingabout?!!?)

It should be noted that the above is all conjecture based on eavesdropping and reading body language.
I never said I wasn't judgmental.

Plaidy McCurly Hair left to get more Pabst (of course!) and to take a breather from his reign as Mayor of Makeout City, and a NEW group of three moved to the head of the line.

This time, a dude with two blondes. Luckily for my sanity, this group had a much more platonic feel rather than a thwarted-crush-stealer feel, but still very VERY flirty.

Who knew hipster rock shows were the breeding grounds for threesomes?

The show itself was a good, dancey time.
Sideboard: I don't think I've used the made-up word "dancey" so often. But yet.

It just feels so right.

Another side note:
What if I, homeless Barbie, created a fashion blog?
You too can look homeless, even at work! I actually think it could work.
So don't steal it.
*giggling*

Friday, I'm in love.
Not literally, but there was a super foxy, beardy guy at Mad Planet in a red and blue plaid shirt who was all awkwardly dancing. Adorbs.
Bonus? PO and I both agreed on his foxiness. This happens rarely.
Sadly, he found some tiny little black-haired lady to dance all sexy with.
Boo-hiss on mahnjays.
Other than that, Mad Planet was a ridick good time.
I had a stranger tell me they really liked my hair in the ladies bathroom.
I had a crazy-person-of-friend tell me I was gorgeous twice (I think because she forgot the first time?)
I had another person tell me they liked my shoes (tortuous devices that they are).

They played good music, I created a new non-dance called the Angry Feminist:
Stand with arms crossed, looking mad, eyes slightly slit, occasionally shaking your head back and forth. If outside, smoke a cigarette.
This works exceptionally well if they're playing "Smack My Bitch Up," fyi.

But oh.
To quote EC:
My dogs be barkin'.
Like a genius/boss, it seemed like a wise/fashionably viable thing to wear heels.
They are my COMFY heels, you know.
Bad.
Idea.
Jeans.
By the end of the night I had created not only my new wicked dance move, the Angry Feminist, but also a new walk, The Hobo.
Not only am I Jj Walker-Burch, I'm Jj Hobo-Walker-Burch.
And since it's cold/rainy/snowy there was no way I could have removed the tools of torture after leaving the bar. And so I hobbled/shuffled, like an ancient Japanese woman with bound feet, around pond-sized puddles, muddy lawns and cracks in the sidewalk.


And I KNOW heels are bad for you.
I KNOW that I shouldn't wear them.
Lawd knows I have enough height that I don't HAVE to wear them.
But they're so cute.
And I really love how tall they make me.
If they made flats half as cute as heels, this wouldn't be an issue.
And let's be real.
It's not like I buy them.
Prizes for work events, given to me by other drag-queen-sized-feet-friends, or I DID buy them but it was like 15 years ago.
Instead, I will put my effort into procuring a virtual rainbow of Chuck Taylors Low-Top Allstars.
Because you can wear those with anything.